C6 Corvette

Dutch automotive site Autoblog.nl rides along with GM engineer and test driver Patrick Herrmann as they shakedown the very first European 2009 Corvette ZR1 on the autobahn. Before Patrick goes full throttle, we see him checking all the fluids and air pressure, as well as the DIC readouts once the Corvette is warmed up. Then all hell breaks loose as Patrick unleashes the 6.2L supercharged Corvette ZR1 on the autobahn, easily reaching speeds up to 310 kph or 192 miles per hour.

Usually we just share the video and you can watch it here in the wonderfully crappy youtube format. But for this drive, we recommend visiting Autoblog.nl where you’ll be able to see the Corvette ZR1 presented in widescreen HD glory. Oh, and when Patrick’s ready to start the Corvette for the very first time, you will want to have your speakers volume set to 10. This is one awesome ride!

We also grabbed some frames as the Velocity Yellow Corvette makes for some great eye candy. Besides, American’s aren’t used to see a speedometer that goes up to 330 kph.

Only 70 Corvette ZR1s are expected to be exported to Europe this year. Dutch importer Kroymans, the company that handles the sales of Corvettes in Europe, has set the price for the new 2009 Corvette ZR1 at 136,000 Euros. At current exchange rates, that translates to over $214,000 US Dollars.

Thanks for everyone who submitted a caption for our Corvette accident photo. There were some real gems submitted, so instead of picking one winner, I selected three from the list:

1. “The luxury you want with the handling you crave” – Matt Culler

2. “OK, I promise to leave the Nordschleife alone, from now on it’s yours” – Lee Kibbler

3. “Wow, I knew that new wax I bought at Carlisle was slippery, but…” – Mike Holeva

An email will be sent to the three winners so I can get their mailing addresses. Our first place winner will receive a 2008 Corvette Black Book, 2008 Corvette Price Guide and a Bridgestone Firestone tire gauge. The two runner ups will each receive a Bridgestone Firestone tire gauge. This was fun and the participation was greater than expected so we’ll see about doing more of these kinds of contests.

These photos were taken on Friday from an accident scene in Ventura California. I’ll give away a 2008 Corvette Price Guide, a 2008 Corvette Black Book, and a new Bridgestone Firestone tire gauge to visitors who post the best captions.

The caption contest is now closed and three winners have been selected. Click here to see our favorites.

2008 was a banner year for the Corvette. The model year received a mid-cycle upgrade that featured the new 6.2 Liter LS3 engine with 436 horsepower, new interior choices and two exciting new colors, Jetstream Blue and Crystal Red Metallic. Two special edition Corvettes were built, the Z44 Corvette Z06 427 edition and the Z4Z 30th Anniversary Indianapolis Pace Car. Demand for new Corvettes translated into 35,310 Corvettes produced, and for the first time since its re-introduction in 2001, the Z06 outsold the convertible.

The Bowling Green Assembly Plant’s release of 2008′s Corvette Production Figures shows that 7,731 (22%) Corvette Z06s were built compared to 7,549 (21%) Corvette Convertibles. This is lowest output of Convertibles since 1996 when only 4,369 were produced. The Coupe made up the majority of production with 20,030 (57%) Corvette Coupes assembled.

When it comes to colors, 1 out of every 4 Corvettes is Black (9,380 – 26.6%). The two shades of red, Victory Red (5,638) and the new Crystal Red (5,420) make up 31.3% of colors produced. The other new color for 2008 was Jetstream Blue, which accounted for 3,728 Corvettes (10.26%). That figure was in line with 2007′s LeMans Blue in which 3,854 were made. What’s also interesting is how this report from the assembly plant references the two new colors: Jetstream Blue is called Bluestream and Crystal Red is called Crystal Claret. Hmmmm.

If I was ever late to catch a flight, seeing this taxi pulling up in front of the CorvetteBlogger Compound would be a welcome site. But in reality, this Corvette Z06 isn’t a taxicab all. It’s actually one of the 120 cars participating in the 10th Annual Gumball 3000 Rally. Gumball 3000 participants are known for plastering outrageous exterior graphics on some of the world’s top supercars.

Additional photos after the jump.

The previously Black Corvette Z06 was reskinned by the UK’s Raccoon auto branding company in the motif of “The Speeding Cab Company” for the rally. Here are the photos that show the car being wrapped in the parking garage of the Fairmont Hotel in San Fran as well as the finished taxicab parked down on the street.

The Gumball 3000 takes participants on an 8 day, 3000 mile road rally across two continents. This year’s rally was billed as “East Meets West” as the Gumballers cruised through China and portions of the American West.

Participating in a Gumball Rally isn’t cheap. For one fee of Â£60,000 pounds (or the price of a Corvette ZR1) all your accommodations, vehicle transportation and of course, admission to the famous Gumballer parties are all covered.

After each new Corvette ZR1 rolls off the assembly line in Bowling Green, it undergoes what is being billed as “extreme quality control” in an attempt to deliver the car to customers as problem free as possible. While some are looking at the delay as a negative, Corvette Product Marketing Manager Harlan Charles tells us that this is just to make sure the ZR1s are as perfect as possible for everyone.

Harlan says this intensive scrutiny of early production Corvettes is part of the normal quality process that GM does with each new Corvette model introduction. They did it with first C6 Corvettes and they did when the new Corvette Z06 was introduced.

There is no denying that the delay is causing angst among some new owners who know that their new Corvette ZR1 has been built, but has yet to leave Bowling Green. We checked around and have been told that other than Dave Ressler who picked up the very first Corvette ZR1 last month, no cars have been delivered to retail customers.

That doesn’t mean the factory isn’t shipping the new supercharged Corvette. Truckloads of Corvette ZR1s have been sent to Detroit but these are captured test fleet cars and not assigned to customers. Those fleet Corvette ZR1s are being driven and evaluated to ensure that the quality Corvette owners have come to expect is represented on the newest Corvette.

Our opinion is that the attention to quality is a good thing as long as the delay doesn’t go on too much longer. We are feeling for those owners with the low VINs whose cars have been on the ground for a while. People aren’t used to paying $105,000 to $150,000 for a Corvette so making sure that it’s as perfect as possible and lives up to the hype makes good business sense.

The new 2009 Corvette ZR1s are coming. Harlan tells us it’s an awesome car and it’s worth waiting just a little bit more.

One of the most successful incentive programs offered by GM is now back and the good news is Corvettes are included. Employee pricing for everyone runs through September 2nd and Corvette buyers can save a significant amount on 2008 Coupes, Convertibles and the Z06.

Usually Corvettes are excluded from most of GM’s incentive programs but due to the number of 2008 Corvettes available on dealers lots – 5,854 as of yesterday – the General wants them sold to make room for the 2009 Corvettes now rolling off of the Bowling Green Assembly line.

The discounts are fairly significant too. In the case of the 505 horsepower Z06 where base prices start around $72,000 the discounts can be close to $10,000 off!

Our friends at Kerbeck Corvette only have a few 2008′s left including a Black Z06 and a Indianapolis 500 Pace Car coupe so if you want to get in on the discounts you better give Dave and the gang a call immediately at 1-877-537-2325. Make sure you tell them CorvetteBlogger sent you!

When we first saw the photos of the Rossi 66, we were blown away by how good this Corvette looks compared to some of the other retro rebody’s we’ve seen lately. The Rossie 66 borrows the best exterior design features from the 1963-67 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe and melds them to the chassis of the C6 Corvette. Currently the Rossie 66 exists as a design concept only but the company has the set a goal for producing a full running production vehicle to be displayed at SEMA 2008 this fall.

At 12:01 am this morning, the embargo was lifted and those lucky magazine and blogger stiffs who were invited by GM to the Milford test track (also known as the Lutzring) were free to post their experiences of driving the new 638 hp supercharged Corvette ZR1. And what a drive it must be. The four reviews that we link to after the jump toss around short missives like “best ever” and “total pussycat”. Taking a poll of the reviewers found that they were “surprised”, “shocked” and “blown away” by the driving experience the new Corvette ZR1 delivers, not only on the test track, but on the public roads as well.

The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the best car ever made. It redefines what performance cars are capable of, not by its numbers (the 0-to-60 in 3.3 seconds and a 205 MPH top speed figures are no longer noteworthy north of $100,000), but by how it makes those numbers so accessible. Simply put, the ZR1′s most remarkable achievement is how easy and unintimidating the chassis makes exploiting the car’s 638 HP.

The ZR1 may well be the best supercar bargain in the world, while at the same time being as mechanically sophisticated as any of the best supercars from Europe or Asia. Unlike most engines, the ZR1 doesn’t really have a torque curve. It’s more like an electric motor — massive torque is everywhere. In fact, it has so much twist you almost don’t need shift. Put the gear lever in third and roll on the throttle until you’ve accumulated enough speed as your license can tolerate and then lay on the brakes as hard as you please.

Okay, so we’re shocked (and more than a little proud) that America’s sports car established a lap-record at the Nurburgring. We’re awed by its high handling limits and overall tractability. And 15 or 20 hot laps of a circuit like the Lutzring could probably convince any skeptic that $30K worth of hardware value has been added to the already impressive Z06.

Possibly the only thing more surprising than the existence of a $100,000-plus, 638-horsepower factory-built Corvette is that the car is a total pussycat. Don’t get us wrong, this 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 can kill you quite completely dead. We mean like augured-in, test-pilot kind of beyond-recognition dead. It is capable of such stunning velocity in such a short distance that if things go wrong at even a fraction of its ultimate speed, it’ll tear a ragged hole in just about whatever it encounters.

The Jalopnik test drive article was our favorite review of the four and should be read first. Reviewer Wes Siler approaches the Corvette ZR1 drive from an enthusiast’s point of view and really takes you inside the emotions of driving Chevroletâ€™s new supercharged 638 horsepower halo car.

The only downside we read from the reviews is the same tired old argument about the interior not being on par with cars costing 2-3x as much. As with every new Corvette introduction we prefer to challenge these statements by spinning it as part of the “Chevrolet” experience. Who buys a Corvette for the interior anyway?

Katech Performance, the supplier of engines to Corvette Racing’s C6.R program as well as the Pratt & Miller C6RS has launched an exclusive package designed to put your Corvette Z06 on a diet and you in the winner’s circle at the track. The new ClubSport package reduces the curb weight of a Corvette Z06 to 2,825 lbs (fully optimized) from the standard 3,180 lbs while improving grip, cornering, braking and downforce.

Corvette performance has always been about the power to weight ratio and with Katech’s experience in racing, shedding those unwanted pounds while improving on the Z06′s performance is just what serious racing enthusiasts have been clamoring for.

Available exclusively through Les Stanford Chevrolet in Dearborn, Michigan, the Katech Corvette Z06 ClubSport starts at $109,000 for the standard package and includes a 12-Month/12,000 mile warranty. That’s a lot of laps around the autocross or road course! Katech also has a “Bring Your Own Z06″ program for the enthusiast that wants to take their Corvette to the next level.

Read the press release below to see what the Katech ClubSport Corvette Z06 diet can do for your racing efforts.

KATECH PERFORMANCE UNVEILS LIGHTWEIGHT Z06 FOR THE TRACK
New ClubSport Package Shaves Pounds to Shave Seconds off Lap Times

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. â€“ Katech Performance, ever attuned to the collective conscious of the Corvette universe, knew this â€“ enthusiasts wanted a lighter weight Z06 tuned for the track. Now they have it.

â€œThe Z06 is already wonderfully light weight,â€ commented Jason Harding, performance parts sales, Katech Performance. â€œWe knew, however, that we could improve the power-to-weight ratio with several select modifications. Lamborghini has its Gallardo Superleggera, Ferrari its F430 Scuderia and Dodge its Viper ACR. Now the Corvette Z06 has the ClubSport package from Katech Performance.â€

What does one feed Chevroletâ€™s already well-conditioned athlete to shed pounds and improve its game? The ClubSport diet calls for:

Several optional supplements are also available including: Caravaggio leather race seats; A/C and/or radio delete as well as carpet delete to further reduce weight; roll bar or harness bar and six-point harnesses; and an ARE dry sump system.

So whatâ€™s the final verdict? A power-to-weight ratio of 5.45 lbs./horsepower (standard) or 5.28 lbs./horsepower (fully optimized).

Complete with a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty, the Katech Performance Z06 ClubSport starts at $109,000 (standard) and is expected to maintain 50-state emissions compliance*. Power plant improvements â€“ including an array of modified LS7 engine packages â€“ are also available for customers who want to upgrade to a true Katech Performance â€œStreet Attackâ€ Z06.

To purchase a brand new ClubSport Z06 from Les Stanford Chevrolet â€“ â€œAmericaâ€™s Corvette Kingâ€ â€“ call 800.699.VETT or visit www.lesstanford.com. Already own a 2006-2009 Z06? Bring your Vette to Katech to get started on the ClubSport plan. Call 866.KATECH1 or visit www.katechengines.com.

Katech Inc. was founded on the need to provide responsive service and skills to factory race efforts in all forms of racing, including the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), NASCARÂ®, SCCA SPEED World Challenge, American Speed Association (ASA) and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Today, Katech is an industrial leader in advanced racing and high-performance engine development, manufacturing, testing and assembly, and offers support services for the professional racer including boring, honing, fabrication, welding and prototype parts development.

Katech Performance is located at 24324 Sorrentino Court, Clinton Township, MI, 48035. Contact the company by phone at 866-KATECH1 or visit online at www.katechengines.com.

Charles D. Fowler, III: I stopped subsribing to both after many years, and within a year or two of even having a “feature” article accepted and published, after meeting Corvette Fever execs at Carlisle. With the merger, I...

Jeff McKay: I also asked a local dealer and they knew nothing about it. How do I order it myself? I think that would be faster than trying to convince them they should know about it.

CrystalKnight: I have always loved the 63, one of my favorite classics of all time, and I have had a many sports cars…, owned and loved the C5 even though it was heavy and underpowered, owned and loved the C6 convertible. ….I...

CrystalKnight: I have always loved the 63, one of my favorite classics of all time, and I have had a many sports cars…, owned and loved the C5 even though it was heavy and underpowered, owned and loved the C6 convertible. ….I...

tonyman262: I have an 89 C4 & an 07 C6, both white. After seeing the CUE system; the daughter may get the 07, I NEED a C7 with the CUE system. The 89 C4 stays with me. The C7 (artic white of course) could just end up being the new...